Ep 6. Jessie May-Simmons: LEAD IN A DISNEY FILM?! West end Debut & choreographer.. SMASHED IT!! 🩷

Hosted By Charlotte Neale. In this episode we are joined by Choreographer, Actress, and and all time funny gal Jessie May-Simmons. From auditioning for a Lead in a Disney Film, to making her WEST END DEBUT!! Make sure to tune in X 

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:10

Hi everyone and welcome to Life in the Wings podcast. I am joined by my gorgeous friend Jessica Simmons! My stage name is Jessie Mae Simmons. Oh okay, I'm already outed. Jessie Mae Simmons. I didn't know that. Was that your middle name? Yeah.

unknown 0:27

Oh.

SPEAKER_00 0:27

Yeah, I kind of want to yeah, it's a long boy story. And now I wish I'd branded as Jessica June, because that's my nana's middle name. And that would have been cool, wouldn't it? I'd love an alliteration. Yeah. Jessica June. Yeah. Wait, so but when you first hold, hold, hold. We went to college together, performers college. We graduated in 2017. I feel very old saying that. Long time ago. So you graduated as Jessica Simmons? No. Oh, you never did? No, I did. I think I decided at college because you have to approve the time. And everyone has my goddamn name. And then what's funny is my I wanted to be then Jessie May. Oh, so your name wasn't available? No. Jessica Simmons, Jessica May Simmons, Jessie May, Jessica May. But my singing teacher, Jessie May, shout out, she's fantastic. I'm like, you're you're Jessie Mae. Wait, so then Jessie May was available. So you're Jessie May. Jessie Double Barrel Mae Simmons. Remember it. Ah, that's so interesting. I didn't do that. I didn't know that, sorry. So welcome Jessie Mae Simmons with a with a double barrel. Um, so we probably don't need this, but it's a little icebreaker, okay, which we don't need at all. Um it is a quick fire round, aka the 16 bar cut. Oh do you like it? I like that. I know you'd like that. Um okay, it's literally gonna be this or that. Quick fire. Audition or self-tape? Audition. Spotlight or Instagram? Spotlight. Fringe or West End? West End. Matinea's or evenings? Evenings. Musical or play? Musical. Oh really? I thought you were gonna say play. No, I love musical. Okay. Singing or dancing first. Dancing. Rejection, email or being ghosted. Rejection email. And then last but not least, just a funny one, boiled or scrambled eggs? Poached.

unknown 2:16

Of course. That's so funny.

SPEAKER_00 2:19

She just goes off the plan. That's fine. No, I do love a poached egg. I actually, as I was writing that question, I did actually think, well, there's actually many ways you can have an egg. So someone's got to be a good one. Just chose my own. Do it, why not? So um, thank you so much for coming on to the podcast. Okay, thank you for having me. Of course. When I actually thought about this podcast, you I think I messaged you. You were one of the first people in my head that I was like, I want to get Jess on the podcast. So nice! No, I did because I always I'm on her close friend stories, guys. I made it! She's on. The green circle. The green circle, I'm there. And you always update your close friend stories. Um just really either funny things about the industry or just like I don't know. I just and and you you also you post a lot of like your grafting work. Like, does that make sense? Yeah. Like I'm honest on that. You're honest. I'm very honest on that. You're honest on your close friend stories, which we all are, but um, you yeah, you you say a lot of like industry related stuff, and and then you always say the things that aren't going well and stuff. And I I always find your content really, really relatable. And um, so I was like, oh my god, Jess would be the perfect person because I feel like since 2017, I know and I feel that you have grafted so much, yeah, and you put yourself out there and you go down so many different avenues. You work really, really hard. You do, no, but you do, and it doesn't go unnoticed. I mean, who am I? But no, it it doesn't. Um, so for the listeners that that don't know you, talk to get to know. Get to know talk to us about where you are in the industry. So you graduated in 2017 from performers college. Performers, yeah. Um, and then you graduated with an agent? Yes, with Garth. Garth. Garth!

unknown 4:16

Sorry.

SPEAKER_00 4:18

Oh my gosh, yes, yes. So he was a teacher at college, right? Yeah, and he was our MD for our third year musical. He was! Oh my gosh, I've blocked this out. Spring awakening Spring Awakening. Yes, yes. I it's all flooding back soon. Sang of purple summer. Yes, oh my god, good times. Um, yeah, so I graduated with him and Mary Liz, who now has her own agency, Mary Liz Management. She was also a gem. And um, I was with them for a couple of years, and then COVID. COVID. Wasn't that fun for us? That was fun. Wasn't that really fun for us? So were you still repped by them in COVID? Yeah, at the beginning of it. But we had we'd had what, like two years, two and a half years out. So like things were happening or things weren't happening. I'd like I was starting to then feel really confident in who I was a performer. Amazing, and then COVID. You know? Yeah. I I remember I just booked my first professional job. Um, and it was in a Christmas show. Uh, I think it was in Devon somewhere, but I just I was like, oh my goodness, like I've been graduated out of college over a year. Like, I I did a shit, but it was my first professional job on land, and I was like, oh my god, this is gonna get the ball rolling. Yeah, and then it got cancelled because of COVID. Yeah, yeah. Because I had done two pantos, and I like the second one, I felt really good about it. I was like, yes, we're entering 2020, it's gonna be my year. Because before that, previously, I'd had a car accident that would put set me back. Yeah, I'd had like a family death, so I was like, Oh, I was a bit all over the place, and then I was like, Yes, 2020's gonna be my year. But it was COVID's yeah, it was not my year, it wasn't anyone's year, it was a hard year. And then I was still with um, I think at the time they were called Shack Attack, now they're Shack artists. Um, and then I think towards the end of COVID, I reached out to loads of agents. I was just like, I just felt like, oh, let's let's change it up as we come out of COVID. Um and then I was with Nikki Griffiths at 33. Great agency, yeah. And Nikki's an angel a gem. I love her, I adore her. Love. And again, I think I was with her for about six months. God, this is about to turn into a trauma dump. I'm so sorry, everyone. Um was with her, loved her, was getting some good auditions. I got, oh my god, so I'd had an audition to be the lead in a Disney film. Oh my god, I know. One of the descendants films, read. Wow. Yeah, to be like the Cinderella. I was like, yes, things are going my way. Yeah, like you're you're in the right room, you're just seeing the right people. And then that's when I got hit by a car. Sorry, sorry, I don't mean to laugh, but I wasn't expecting that. I was not expecting that. Sorry, let's just let's briefly touch upon that. It's not funny, it's the worst thing. Let's briefly touch upon that. So you were walking on the pavement. Yeah, walking on the pavement. A car basically drove into you. Trigger warning, yeah. It was not good. Not good. I don't wanna I don't want to dive into it too much just because you know, we're keeping it light. Yeah, but that that put you out of the industry for a bit. Absolutely. I was in a lot of pain, a lot of physical pain, and and I'd had I'd got my panto contract for that Christmas. And in November, still, I could not lift my arm above 90 degrees. And you did that panto contract. I did that panto contract. I had I had I was not okay. I should not have done that. This is where that panto was crazy. I've got some crazy stories to tell you from your panto. We'll get to the crazy stories later. Keep listening, stay tuned. And I had like loads of injections to like storied injections to get me through. And I just luckily it was very commercial that one. There wasn't there wasn't a kick in sight. Okay. There was barely a pirouette, it was um Aaron Renfrey, and very commercial, loved it, but like my body could just about hack it. Right. I like just got through that. Gosh. And then but coming out of it, I was like, I could not do a year contract. It yeah, like that's we were that was six weeks of a panty. I was like, and I know the team, they know me. I'd done like I've done six years, I had at that point done like three or four, but I've done six years, they're like, they're great people, they're gonna understand, blah blah blah blah blah. And I came out of it like my body hurts, this is not okay. So did you have to take time again after that to recover? No, well, I didn't. Oh my god, Jessica. But then I was starting to have um like conversations with Nikki saying, I don't know if musical theatre's for me at the minute, I don't feel strong enough. That and that was coming from you. Yeah, yeah. I was like, I'm not physically not strong enough, I'm mentally not strong enough, like I kind of Did you feel like because you had that time out of the industry, you lost your confidence in it from COVID? Like it was a knock on effect COVID two years, then that happened, and then but also just like the tra like PTSD is such a real thing. Yeah, and I didn't know about it really until it happened to me. And I thought, oh that's a big it's a big thing to go through. Um so yeah, then I was kind of having and then we kind of came to the agreement that maybe because she was very musical theatre focused, that I should try and find an acting agent. Because I thought I can still be in the industry, maybe I just want to go more into acting, yeah, but to make that transition it's hard, it's hard to make that transition. Yeah, it's it's getting better, I think, but still it was hard. There are there are a few people that I know that have transitioned, but even so, like there is that still sort of like stigma around being a musical theatre performer and being a straight actor. Yeah, and I don't know why that is. I don't know. I don't know whether it's because there's a there's a a stereotype of performers being like when actually like yes, some of us have that, but also not all performers are like that. No, and that's not if someone is like that, that's not 100% of their personality, yeah. So I I've never really understood that stigma to be like. No, I haven't either. I think it's maybe to do with the training, because obviously, yeah, obviously I'm gonna perform differently on stage to how we will on screen. But another thing I have found is I am very, I'm very, what's the word? What's the word? Expressionate. That's not a word. Expressive. Expressive, expressive, expressive. Expression it as a word, expression it. No, it's not. I made that expressive. I'm very expressive, so I will take that into characters. Yeah. And I think for TV for so long it was try and be quite still and strip back. But now it is changing a lot more. There's a lot more comedy on somebody comedy, which is something I love a lot. And it is becoming more natural, like if you're having a conversation, people touching their hair, and I'm like, oh, that's it's transitioning into that a lot more, which I do like because I'm very expressive. So right now, yes, sorry. You're no no no tangents. So right now, no, we love it. Um you're focused on acting. Yes. And creating and choreographing and just basically, yeah, she's she's got her foot, her toe in many, what what's the word? Pies dipping her you're dipping your toe in pies sometimes. No, but it's her fingers in pies, dipping your toe in many waters. I don't know. Yeah, necessarily it's you've just choreographed for Fontanelle. Fontanelle. Fontanelle. Oh, I know. I even wrote it down. I even wrote it down phonetically. And you even came to see it. And I even came to see it! No, it was fabulous. But that was your was that your choreographic debut? Yes. And that was at Soho Theatre, right? Yeah. And it was amazing. It was so fun. And it was good fun. Good story. Yeah. So Jess Jesse. Yeah. Jessie was the choreographer. Um, but a couple of days after I came to see it, one of the actors was was they injured or they got ill? They got really like a horrible winter flu. So Jess had to go Jesse had to go on, stepped in. As the choreographer to the performance. Yeah, and I'd been at my cousin's wedding the night before. Oh god. Hungover. Hungover. Do you want to come be on on in Fontanelle tonight? I was like, go on then. Well, you just did it with no notice, kind of. Yeah, well, because I knew it. You know, yeah. I was the only person that knew it to step in. And it was the best fun. And that is that uh is that a West End debut?

unknown 12:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:32

Is it? We'll call it a West End debut. I think it is. Who says it's not? I think it is. Well, I was in the West End as a child. Was you? Yeah. Did I know this? What did you do? Uh the railway children. I did know this. Oh my god, you're a child performer. Yeah, I'm a child student. Do you remember that? Like quite yeah, I was like doing my GCSEs. Oh wow, so you were like 15, 16. Yeah. Wow, that's amazing. That's so cool. I know I totally forgot about that. I totally forgot. I remember at college you said about it. Yeah. So you've always always kind of been in your bones performing? Always done it. Always done it. Yeah. Like, I think I was about three when my mum said to me, like, Do you want to join ballet? I was like, Yeah. And then I've always done it. Has it been like um, was there a moment where you thought, this is what I want to do? Or was it just did it just naturally happen? I think it was quite natural, but there was one I remember this one performance when I was a kid. This is such a random story. I was always like quite a performer with it. Because considering I'm so shy, you wouldn't believe, I'm so shy, and I was really shy as a kid. Yeah. Like I just came alive on stage and like something just happened. And it changed when I was about 10, but I did this one street dance, and before I went on stage, I downed a Lucasaid. Oh god. And I just something happened, like that click, and I was just like, let's go. And I came off and everyone was like, that was amazing. And I was like, Oh my god, that was that was also so fun, like to just let loose and be free and to perform and be enjoying. And then that was kind of like everyone was kind of like, uh no, that's and then from then people have just always I know that oh I don't want to sound arrogant. No, but like whenever people are like, Oh, I just always want to watch you when you're on stage, which is always and they're like, I'm just drawn to the city. That's a really lovely compliment. And they're like, I'm just drawn to you and your performance because you're just always doing something interesting to watch, which is really nice. That's that's really lovely to hear as a child as well, because those sorts of things are what encourage us to go into it. Do you know what I mean? Like, had you not had that encouragement, maybe you wouldn't have been in this interest. Do you know what I mean? Like it may have just remained as like a hobby type thing. And I was always encouraged, which is what's lovely. Like as a child, even even at school, they were like, Don't do a language GCSE, like do dance. That was I for my GCSEs, I literally did dance, drama, and music. Same. It was giving musical theatre. Same. I didn't even do like an academic. No, I did then I did also media. Oh yes, I did media. You have to do you have to do language or media, didn't you? And they said don't do a language, girl. I was like that's so funny. I did read GCSE. Um, so you were we had a little chat before the podcast, and you are now unrepresented. I am. And how long have you been at unrepresented for? Like a year. And how are you finding that? So how are you finding you can be honest? Not great. Um well I've had lots of opportunities come up like creatively. Yeah. And you know what? It has been nice to kind of breathe and not be like, oh my god, I've got an audition tomorrow. Like have that pressure. And yeah, it's been nice to breathe. But like, I haven't had any I mean that's a lie. I've got I've had a TV job, but I do extra in work, so that's kind of I have done that. It's really cool to be on set. I've got I've had like two or three speaking roles. Amazing. Yeah, and I've had like great opportunities. Yeah, I was gonna say, and if they like you on set, sometimes they'll bring you onto next jobs and you can like climb the ladder that likely. So, what was the question? Um being unrepresented, how that is. Um I will I am at the stage now where I'm like, okay, I should look for an agent, I do want an agent, but it's just about finding an agent who knows what I want to achieve, and it's not necessarily one thing. I like to, as you said, I've got my feet in all the pies.

SPEAKER_01 16:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 16:27

I want to continue to do that. Do lots of things. See, sorry to interject, but this is something I know what you're gonna say and I already agree. Oh, really? Because we we pigeonhole ourselves into I'm a singer actor, and that's what I do, and I don't do anything else. And it's like people can direct, people can write, people can sing, people can act, people can choreograph. Why do we need to pigeonhole ourselves? And I I went to a workshop one time and I won't mention who who the workshop was with or something, but uh they made a comment and said, if you say that you can do a whole load of things, it puts a question mark above you because people have a perception of okay, you say you can all you can do all those things, but at what standard? Do you know what I mean? And yes, there's a part of me which gets that, but then that doesn't mean that it's impossible. Like it's not impossible to be to be a really high achiever in singing and also be a really high achiever in directing and a choreographer. Like wherever your passion lays, you should go with. And I love that. And I wouldn't settle for less than my swine. With choreography, which I'm really starting to get into now and really enjoy. Because you teach as well, don't you? Yeah, I teach. Where do you teach? I do everywhere, I teach it all all over. I do it everywhere, all over. Everywhere that anyone wants to do it. And sometimes you sometimes you do a class at was it bass? I d I did do one class at the manor. Oh the manor! Stop it. Is that the one with all the lights? Yeah, with all the lights. With all the lights! I've never even stepped into that building because it scares me. Oh no, it scares me. When I see when I see no it does. I'm not putting people off, but when I see the videos, it looks like people's in a music video. Yeah, but it it's really nice there. They were. Oh, is it a good atmosphere? Yeah. Because also my goal is to do more dance classes. I'll do another one just for you. Yes, can you? And I'll come. Yeah. We'll we'll we'll pop up on the link below wherever you are next teaching. On the link in the description box. Follow me on Insta. Um, yeah, so you kind of want to find an agent that can support. Yeah, but also appreciates that I can do all these things to a pretty high standard. Like, actually, no, to a high standard, not even pretty high, to a high standard. And we love that. And not pigeonhole me because I can choreograph, I can sing, I can dance, I can act, like, oh my god, that's that's that's so arrogant. No, it's not, but it's I can do but but but this is another thing. You're not sitting here and going, I'm the best choreographer on the planet and better than all of you. Like, you're not saying that, but we have to have faith in ourselves. And for me, in my career and my um existence of musical theatre, that was my turning point, was actually believing in myself. Because I used to really shy away and like go to the back and be like, yeah. At college, you would be like, oh, and I'd be like, girl. Do you remember at college I used to sing and halfway through the song I'd cry? Yeah. Stop and cry. And I'd be like, This girl is insane, you've got the best voice I've ever heard. Can we just actually take a minute to to hype up Charlotte? No. No, stop, stop, stop, stop, stop. She's insane. She's insane. I can't take confidence, thanks. Um, anyway, back to you. Hello, welcome back. I'm back in the room. Um, about having confidence in yourself. There is a difference between confidence and arrogance, and I feel like people get confused as to like what is what. We wouldn't be in this industry, even the people that are shy and put themselves at the back, even the even me who was crying at college, there must have been a bit in me that believed in me because otherwise I wouldn't be there. If I would none of us would be in the industry if we didn't think we would be good enough for it. And I think we really need to hold on to that. And I think it it shouldn't be a taboo subject that we believe in ourselves. I remember someone used to say to me, um, like people used to say when I said I won't a singer, they'd go, Are you any good? And oh my god, the most awkward question, right? And I used to go, like, oh, like, I don't know, like I hope so. Yeah. But now I go, Well, yeah, I'd hope so. Like, since I'm in the industry, I'd hope I'm good. Like, do you know what I mean? And sometimes I even say, like, oh yeah, like I am. Um, and I think that's really important to back ourselves and not and not put ourselves down. So to answer your question, no, don't you don't seem arrogant by saying that you're good at this, you're good at this. Because why should we say that we're bad at everything when we're not? Yeah. Because like being a creative is what I am, it's what I do. I'm not good at I don't know anything about cars, I don't know anything about science, I don't know a lot of things, but being creative, I am good at that. Yeah, and that's totally okay. Yeah. Um, so talk to me about how you got into choreographing because you've just choreographed for Colleen Nolan. I don't know why I said it as if I wasn't gonna say the name. So I I knew exactly what I was gonna say. I was just like lip reading. Yeah. So you've just choreographed for Colleen Nolan. How on earth did that happen? Very random. Well, Fontanelle was with someone called Jake. Yeah. Jake Roach, who is now a dear friend of mine, lovely man. Go see his show at the end. I think I follow him. I think we've had this conversation. I think I'll follow him on Instagram. Yeah, he was in Rixton, the band. Yes, I know of him. Yeah, great. Yeah, that's why I follow him. His mum is Kaleen Nolan. So he I didn't know that. Yeah. Oh. Yeah. Oh my god, I've met Colleen Nolan's son. Yeah, well. His dad is Shane Ritchie. Oh my god, of course. Um, yeah. Not that he likes to talk about it. So he is like producing his mum's tour, and he was like, Hey, do you want to choreograph their final number thing? And I was like, Wow, absolutely. And then I'm gonna be choreographing for his show that's coming up at Soho Theatre. Yeah. Um, and it's it is it is one of those things where it's it's who you know.

SPEAKER_01 22:18

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:18

Because I was sat in this hotel room with Colonial Colalulum. This is where I get excited and I talk too fast. Colleen Nolan. And I was thinking, This is so random. Like, all of this kind of happened from a random Instagram DM. Like that was the first thing that led to this butterfly effect of this happening. Wait, so you got Fontanal from an Instagram DM? Yeah. Wait, you reached out or they reached out? No, someone reached out to me asking if I could like assist choreograph the Edinburgh run. Wow. And then I ended up choreographing the London run, and then yeah, that's how I just shows how who you know. And it's like that was a massive moment of it's who you know. This is I only have got this job because I know Jake. Now But also who you know and what you know, because if you didn't know, if you didn't have the skill, you wouldn't be able to do it. Do you know what I mean? So like that there's a part in both. Oh absolutely. But definitely who you know, definitely. Yeah, because I was thinking on the way here, I was like, what are we gonna talk about today on the podcast? And then I was thinking about like how I'm just she's still walking. Um it's you could be the most talented person in the world, but if no one knows who you are, and I'm finding like this is su no, because I was thinking about everyone, like I was looking at all the posters and I was like, oh, someone just knew who they were, like they just got in the room at the right time. Obviously, they're extremely talented. Yeah, but there's so many, there's so many people that are talented that just aren't found. Yeah. And us two being two of them. No, I'm joking, I'm joking, I'm joking, I'm joking. Um I'm not arrogant, I'm not arrogant, I promise. Um, no, but it's true, it's true. That we're all just waiting. I'm gonna I was just about to say we're all just waiting to be found, but actually that's where my script has flipped a bit because I felt like a few years ago I was waiting to be found. And then I remember I listened to um a podcast that Davina McCall was on, and she said, and people always say it now, and it's cliche for a reason, uh, don't wait for opportunity, create opportunity. Yeah, and it really made me go, Oh, actually, there's thousands of people that are just waiting. Yeah, so I actually need to back myself, and that's where the confidence came in as well. So it's like you have to back yourself to put yourself forward for things, and yeah, anyway. So, yes, you've just finished working with Colleen Nolan. How was it? Amazing. It was really fun, it was she's so nice, it was very relaxed, it was so funny. So the rehearsal up in Macklesfield that I went to, Colleen turns up, with them with Shane, who she's doing the show with, then his girlfriend and his baby, and then her other daughter and the baby. I'm like, okay, wait, wait, so she's doing a show with her ex-husband. No, so Shane is her other son. Oh sorry. So I was like, What? Shane is her other son. Oh, so they had they They had two kids named Sh and he named him after himself. Yeah, Shane and Jake. Um, but yeah, it was it's just they're such nice people, and it was she was just really lovely. Yeah. And it was just it was one of those, whenever I do a job, it like solidifies. Oh, I am good at this. Oh yeah, of course. Because then you get you get in your rut and you go, oh, and then you do a job and you're like, oh no, I'm good at it, and then you have that bit of momentum from it. So that actually goes into my next question. When you get into those ruts of not working, well, not working in the industry as a, how do you personally stay motivated and how do you get yourself out of that rut? It's it is a really hard one because sometimes the ruts can be big and quite dark. So it's like I find sometimes watching a good TV series will like motivate me or watch something, but then sometimes it can also annoy me because I'm like, why aren't I in something like that? But maybe sometimes doing a class, I think you have to like get out into the world. Yeah. So sometimes I'll book onto like a workshop, like an acting workshop, and then you've got that fiery. Yeah, and you're like, oh yeah, of course. Or like, yeah, I'll go and do a class, and you know, it's like, oh, I just love this anyway. Yeah. So, but you've also then it's it's about trying to make your life fun as well. Aside like aside from the industry, yeah, yeah. Because if you're not happy in that life either, that's something I've really it struggled with, I think, yeah, is having a life outside of musical theatre because all my hobbies are musical theatre, and I'm not saying I'm this like stagy princess that like goes about because I'm not, but a lot of my hobbies are like sitting at home, learning songs, singing, or like I'm not into fitness, I'm not really into going to the gym, I'm not into like a certain sport. Like, it is kind of all a rop, like all revolved around musical theatre. Um, so I've recently taken well, I say I've taken up swimming. I go swimming more regularly now, just to have something, another sort of like out there. Yeah. Um, what did you say? Work. Work. Because I'm gonna become a lifeguard. No take up. I can't do that for you. I can't. No panic! No running by the pool. Um, yeah, no, I think it's so important to have other things. Yeah, I agree. Like it it it just is. You've gotta have because once you make it your everything, then when you get rejection, then when it is hard, it's like everything, everything is rubbish, and it's like you need to have other things to fall back on. Yeah, you've got this and you've got this and you've got this, and the industry isn't everything, actually. It's not. It's not compared to life and the world, we're we're a special. Kim, people are dying. Oh my gosh, I watched that video the other day. That made me cry. My diamond! My diamonds are. Um, so we are gonna go into our next section, which is called Backstage Drama. And this is I want you to tell me. Um, and I already know you've got stories because you've told me. You're like, I've got many stories. Any unhinged moments in the industry, like anything unhinged that you've done to get into the room, or like funny or embarrassing, anything that you want to share? I'm just gonna tell you about the craziest week of my life. It's quite traumatic, but I'm gonna put a light spin on it. Okay. So it I this was in Aladdin, 2022 or three. Okay. At the Asbor Wadsfeld Theatre. Um this was uh the year the year straight after the accident, after I was like, I was like going through it already. Okay. It's going fine, Panto's going fine. I wake up on boxing day. Yeah, I walk out my bedroom door, my sister is crying. I'm like, what's going on? My dog Freddie is upstairs. He's like not well. We think he's gonna die. Oh he doesn't die. Oh, okay, fine. This is why I can tell the story. If he was dead, I would not be okay. He's still alive and well. Okay. We thought he was dying, like he had this like big lump, it got infected. We were all crying, we were taking him to the vets. Bear in mind I had a two-show day that day. Is this kind of a funny story? This is. It's just mad. It's just a mad. So yeah, we take him to the vet. I'm like, oh my god, I love my dog so much. Princess Jasmine texts me. I'm under study Princess Jasmine. I'm being sick. So I am at the vets crying because I think my dog's gonna die. Princess Jasmine's being sick. I'm like, I don't know what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna have to go for Princess Jasmine today. Oh my god, oh my god! And then I'm like, I drive to the theatre because I I can't I just I need I need to be there because but also like because I was just so upset with my dog. I love my dogs so much, they are my world. And I'm driving to the theatre, I phone my friend, I'm like, I just don't know what I gonna I don't I don't know what I'm gonna do, I don't know what luckily my dog doesn't die, and Princess Jasmine goes on that day. Oh, okay, fine. But like I'm still I'm still tra like it was a traumatic time. Like, even doing a two-show day when I still don't know if my dog's gonna die was scary. Yeah, and then we find out he's fine, okay. Fine. Two days later, yeah, I end up I do go on for Princess Jasmine. Fine, smash it. Yay! Have a great time, have the best day. I'm like, oh thank god, like I'm so happy I went on the water. You give such pretty energy as well. I'd love to be a princess. Yeah. Um, yeah, then the next day, yeah, we're in the wings, ready to go on for about damn time. I'm back to my ensemble track, we're in the wings. Me, the ensemble, and Lavoie, who's currently smashing the world. Yes, yes, yes. Love Lavoie, the best person in the world. So happy that everything's doing this because I've known them for like 10 years now. Oh, amazing. Um and we're waiting to go on. I turn to the side and I see this massive piece of set falling. It's a big, it's a flap, so it's like two of these, like this, but and I'm this big. Can you see that? Zoom in. And I see it falling. Luckily, it doesn't really get me too much because I'm at the end, I'm like closest to it. So I'm kind of I just end up going, ah, and I like go get down, and it like hits me a little bit, but not really. It crashes, it cuts someone's head open in the wing. It bashes Lavoie. Like, obviously, Lavoie's like so much taller than me, so she took the blow way more than I did. Oh, we're like, oh my god, what's happening? No one really knows what's going on. They get the set back up, everyone's going, Are you okay? Are you okay? Are you okay? This the show's happening. The show's going on. David Gamardi is on the stage doing his The show hasn't stopped. No, the show hasn't stopped. And a big piece of set has fallen. The food is on the stage, like doing his monologues, which he is also fantastic. Love him, he's incredible. And this is all happening behind him. Life in the wings, people. This is all happening on the wings. It's all yeah, and then my opposite, his head is cut open. So the stage manager is like, you're not going on, and I'm his opposite, so I'm not going on, thank God. They do the number. I have people in this show, they do the number, and then Levoir kind of carries on for a bit and then looks, looks at her scene partner in the sta in the eyes and then just walks off stage, then it vomits. Concussion. Concussion. I don't know if I should be sharing all this on the podcast, but I don't really it's it's an interesting story. Um and then, like, we have to Levoir's off. LeVoir is never off. Oh my god. And her understudy is the boy with the split head. Oh my gosh, this is crazy. Lavoir and the understudy are off. The producer was in, and the director, luckily, was the yeah, the director was there. So the director went on, who was playing the emperor, went on for LeVoir. The director went on. Yeah, but he was already in it as the Emperor. Right, fine. And then the Empress Understudy went on. So we were down to like three ensemble. I was in pain because I was already. Has the show stopped at this point? Yeah, the show has stopped. Oh, okay. I was gonna say the show stopped for like half an hour while we tried to reconfigure everything. Yeah. I'm I'm in pain, and also bear in mind, I have quite severe PTSD this time. Yes, yeah. And I've just been like this anyway throughout the week. The set has fallen on me, so it's really triggered me. And then I'm in the wings going on for the next thing, and I'm not looking around me, like so scared if anything else is gonna happen. My neck's hurting, but like it was already hurting. But do you know everything was just chaotic, yeah? And it was scary, and then there was respacing, and it was crazy. And then then we had to a second show to do that. Was the matinee. Then we had a second show to do, like I was heating every time. They didn't stop the show like completely like that just straight away. Yeah, I know. I think it was just one of those moments where it's like no one kind of knew what was going on. Yeah, it was just madness, and then that that was kind of the week, and then by New Year's Eve, I think I just had such a traumatic week that I just had a breakdown. Oh bless you. Well, that's well not a breakdown, that's that's quite extreme. I was just crying the whole day. I couldn't stop crying, but it was just that is the definition of the show must go on. Like you I just I just was like I was just like I must carry on. I must I was just like, I just tended to realize I must just get through this week and then about having literally like one day to the next to the next and the next and then and especially on like a period like Christmas period as well. Like in between Christmas and New Year. Happy New Year. It was nuts. Oh my god, I bet you're like when I when I think about that week, I'm like, how did I do that? How did I do that? She's stronger. She's strong, doesn't kill you. Who makes you stronger? Done and stuff. I love it. Um get copyrighted. Wow, that is that's my crazy story, guys. That is that is wild. Um whilst we're on the Was that okay? Yeah. No, that was great. I'm I'm still trying to process. Um while we're talking about, you know, things going wrong and all sorts. Um, have you ever had an audition that's uh gone wrong? So many. Have you? Yeah. Any stories that you want to share? I have a story. Okay, you tell your story. I well, it's about you. I remember it, and if you don't want me to share it, I can cut it out. Was it purple rain? It was! It was purple rain. Oh fuck that. No, it was purple rain. Yeah, that was no no no let's let's bad. Let's uh do you mind if we unpack it? Oh unpacked so long ago. Yeah, and the reason I want to bring it up is because lessons learnt from it, but we know now, you know? But it I think it was with Royal Caribbean, yeah, and it was in Pineapple Studios Upstairs at the top. Yeah, really gorgeous acoustics. Yep. He played, you were singing Purple Rain. Yeah. He played the first note, yeah, and it was either like you picked up on like a different note or something, I don't know what happened. But he was playing one song, I was singing another. Yes, and but I was outside waiting to go in. I think I was next. And I was listening to this. We can laugh at it now, can't we? It was so bad. No, it wasn't. But the thing is, I didn't sound bad. That's what I was about to say. I was singing it well, I was just in a different key, I just could not hear the key he was playing. Yeah. And I'd sang it the day before, pretty much, at college, and I at the time could sing that song. Yeah, like but for some reason, I don't know what happened, but you went but you carried on. I just carried on you and sang the whole song in the wrong key in the wrong key. Like, but you didn't stop. So the reason I bring this- You should have stopped. No, yeah, because the reason I bring this up is because how you are now, you would stop. I would be like, I'm so sorry, can we can I start that again? Because I'm sorry I could not hear the key. But we were in third year at the time. I think that was weird we didn't even college. No, we were at college, and I think I just didn't have the confidence or the experience to own the room. To own the room, because we were kind of being told at the time, you know, you must just go in and smash it around. Yeah, and it's like, no, everyone in the room is a human being, like everyone understands. And yeah, I just came out, I was so traumatized. You and that's what I was gonna say next. You that really set you back, didn't it? That really like traumatized you, and you were really scared to see. Always so nervous for auditions after that. I remember because we spoke on and off for like a few years, and I remember a few years later we were speaking, and you brought it up, and I was like, is that still playing in your mind? And you were like, Yeah, like Charlotte, that that really got to me. And you were still I remember I think you I think we were talking about it, and you said Charlotte, like, how do I deal with like audition nerves and stuff? Because I just my nervous for auditions were insane, and it it's mad because once I'm on the job, it's it's a different story. I do get nervous. I get nervous, um, but it's normal amount of nerves. Do you know what I mean? We should all be nervous, but my audition anxiety was just like It wasn't controlled. Because it's you're going into a room, you don't know what's gonna you just don't know what's gonna happen. It's it's yourself into the unnerved, yeah. And I like to know what's gonna happen, I like to be in control, I like to and when you're doing a show, that's how it is, you know, because you've rehearsed it. That's so true. I've never thought about that. I know and I think it's such a mad thing. I think audition processing is is bizarre because I think some people could be amazing at auditions and terrible on the job. So true. And vice versa. Sorry, I was thinking the other way around. Yeah, yeah. Someone could be like bad at auditioning but actually phenomenal, but they just yeah. And like the audition process to me, I think, is bizarre. Yeah, whenever I sat, I I actually recently just did an audition. I never I never sing my best in auditions ever. I I we were stood outside and we were going in, and I just I think I turned around and I was like, Isn't it weird what we do? Yeah, like isn't it weird? It's so weird. Uh to be on the flip side of that, what's a win of yours that you're like mega proud of? It could be small, it could be big. Oh um. Do you know what was really nice? When I did the choreography for Fontanelle, yeah, I kind of appreciated like the creative side of things so much more because I choreographed this number and like the actions in it caused a laugh in the audience. Right. And I was like, oh my god, that was my brain that came up with that, which made the audience and you always kind of you always kind of admire the actors and you admire the singers and blah blah blah. But the the creatives behind it have such a crucial role. Oh my gosh. And yes, you you do appreciate that, but I kind of then had this like extra like, oh maybe some audience members who aren't part of the industry wouldn't think of that. Yeah, because like sometimes you see choreography, you see a dance and you're like, that was amazing, but then it's amazing because that choreography was missing. Obviously, it's done. And that came from an amazing brain, and that came from your brain. That came from my brain, and it was a silly little thing. But that moment was just like, oh wow, that's amazing. I love that. And it like just kind of flipped the way I see things a little bit. No, that was gorgeous. I love that. Uh so we are gonna go into our final segment, and it's called the five-minute call. Okay. Um, tell us any dreams you have, any dream roles, series, films, anything that you're in the industry that you're like, I would love this to happen. Can I tell you my dream dream? Yes. I would love to play Jane in a live action remake of Tarzan. I am here for it. Can't you see it? Yes. But I don't think Disney own the rights to Tarzan anymore. Oh, do they not who owns it? Yeah, I don't know. I've looked into it. I love how specific that that dream is. I just it I s I don't know. Because I saw all the re the live action remakes happening and I was like, oh, I would love to be it. And then I kind of I don't know, I just I just see that for myself. I am Jane. You are Jane! No being. I am Jane. And I just love it. I love the I love that film. I just know what you'd be really great in as well. Um you'd be a great Anna in Frozen. Yes. Yeah. I would love to play Anna. Yeah, you'd be a great Arnaud. I love Anna. But um I'd also sorry, I just I'm just gonna manifest with this as well. I'd also love to be in like an ensemble comedy type thing. Would you like to do like the play that goes wrong or something? Yeah, or like that on TV, so like New Girl, The Office, things like that. I just I think they just bring joy, and I think that is my goal as a performer. Manifest, manifest, manifest. I love that. Thank you. I love that. I can I can see that for you, and you're funny. You've got you've got a funny bill. Can I can we reminisce on another story about college? Are we running out of time? No, no, no, we can go. Do you remember when we did in with Vanessa? She yeah, acting through songs. No, not yet. Oh, not yet at all. That's not so sorry, that's another story. I'll come back on the point. That's it. Um we acting through song, I had to sing a song, everyone was sat around the room, and she made everyone say like two describing words about me. And everyone was like, nice, kind, a good friend, like sweet. And then Vanessa turns her, looks at me, and she goes, I'm surprised no one says funny. I think Jessica's really funny. Does anyone think she's funny? And the room fell silent. Oh my god, no way! And I was like, Oh, no! Oh my god, did that happen? Well, you're there! Yeah, everyone was there, I was like this. Oh, oh, am I not funny? No one thinks no one thinks I'm funny. But like, I it was just a really, I thought it was just a funny moment because I was like, oh, Vanessa thinks I'm really funny. And like or it just shows, like not everyone, I'm not I'm not saying I didn't find you funny because I've always found you funny, but it's because I'm not the loudest voice in the room. I will if this was five of us, I would have said about ten words on this podcast. But because it's like two people chatting, I find it so much easier. I'm I'm very you work better in smaller groups than you do a bigger group. Yes, it is overwhelming having a bigger group, I can't lie. Yeah. Um, so last but not least, we have our listener question. Oh yes, our listener question, and it is how do you prepare for an audition that has no script? So, for example, when I read this question, um, I thought of like maybe like a commercial audition, you know, when some of them um there's no script, there's just like facial expressions. Yes. How do you prepare for that? How do you prepare for that? Well, I've done I've done quite a lot of commercial auditions in my time. I really enjoy them. I usually get penciled, but then I've never got the job, which is really sad. You're so close. I know, I'm so close. Um, and I think the best thing to do for those situations is to not prepare because they want to see you take direction. Yeah. And if you get an idea in your head of like, no, they would eat a chip like this, I think that's really them blocking. Like, I think you just with those ones, because they're not, you know, they're not asking for the moon. Yeah. They just want to see how how can you react to this. And I think you've just got to go in like carefree because they want to see you, and that's how I I prepare by doing nothing. Do you know what I was thinking? This is so left. I was thinking, like, so you want to prepare your skin to look like really glowy because when it's on camera. Oh shame. No, but I don't know.

unknown 43:18

Shame.

SPEAKER_00 43:19

That's what I'd go for a natural makeup. No, because I'm doing my hair. I didn't know how to shower. Probably shower. No, I prefer, I don't know why my brain went there. Because I was thinking, like, well, what do you prepare? Your skin? Your skin cat? No, I prefer Dramanter. It does not. Um, thank you so much for coming. Oh my god, this has been so far. It has. We've had so many laughs. It's been amazing. Um thank you. You're amazing. Well done for doing this. Because you had a dream and you just did it. I'm making dreams happen. My own dreams happen. No, thank you so much. It's been amazing. And um, Jess Simmons, everyone, thank you so much for listening because I feel like this episode. We've both just been do lali. My mum will listen. Oh, hi, Jess's mum. Wherever you're listening, please like, uh, subscribe and comment. Um, and yeah, have a beautiful day.

unknown 44:14

Bye.